🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Blacksmith-made Iron Bar

[ANTIQUARIAN]

A good friend in Quebec recently donated a collection of antique logging tools he found detecting to a museum, these are some of the tools used by the raft men of the time. My friend is wondering what this iron bar might be? He’s describing it as some sort of crowbar or pry bar. The mark on it is S&C.P. I understand it may have been made by a company in Maine, but I can’t find anything about it. I’ve also been told this is not a railroad tool for pulling spikes.

I’ve also asked my friend to supply me with the dimensions and would appreciate any info you all might have.

Thanks,
Dave

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[Tony in SC]

Really nice pieces!! The long bar is a pry bar. A spike puller is longer with a fork on one end. At first I thought the hammer looking thing was a hot punch but it probably is a starter for making holes for the eye anchors?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Really nice pieces!! The long bar is a pry bar. A spike puller is longer with a fork on one end. At first I thought the hammer looking thing was a hot punch but it probably is a starter for making holes for the eye anchors?

Thanks very much for the information Tony.

 

[villagenut]

looks like a small spud to me, with some gripping lines added for better leverage.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

I'm thinking pry bar too. I doubt it is a bark spud, it's not wide enough to peel bark. Those are all great relics, detectorists are missing out on historical items by not digging iron. I have yet to find a logging log dawg as shone in the photo, still searching.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I would guess it is to remove the eyes at journey’s end.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I'm thinking pry bar too. I doubt it is a bark spud, it's not wide enough to peel bark. Those are all great relics, detectorists are missing out on historical items by not digging iron. I have yet to find a logging log dawg as shone in the photo, still searching.

Very interesting information pa plateau hiker, thanks.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I would guess it is to remove the eyes at journey’s end.

Thanks very much for this Charlie.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

looks like a small spud to me, with some gripping lines added for better leverage.

Thank you Sir, this is great information.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

My buddy just messaged me the following info...

Dave this bar is about 4 feet long and heavy, I’ve found almost 10 of them. Here’s some info about the company in New England, maybe South / S & C.P. lots of foundries there between 1850 - 1900. The tool dates before 1890, to the end of the raftmen period.

 

[creskol]

Are both ends the same?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Are both ends the same?

I'll ask him?

 

[pa plateau hiker]

I've always called those rafting spikes dawgs, maybe no one knew what I was talking about. Any how, I don't think the bar was used to remove the spike from the logs. It would slip through the eye of the hook and provide no leverage. Grab hooks used for logging in the woods were removed by grab skippers or mauls. I'm wondering if the maul with the point on it was some kind of maul/skipper used to remove the raft spikes.

 

[creskol]

I'll ask him?

After thinking about it, I believe that is what they call a "timber bar'" fairly common in old logging camps.

 

[creskol]

After thinking about it, I believe that is what they call a "timber bar'" fairly common in old logging camps.

Here is a modern day version:
https://warwoodtool.com/products/timber-bar